This is going to be an unpopular opinion, but we need kernel level anti cheat in Linux.
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This is going to be an unpopular opinion, but we need kernel level anti cheat in Linux.
Hear me out: The kernel has access to everything, right? Therefore there is nothing stopping kernel code from reading the games' memory and moving the mouse to perfectly aim at your opponent, or drawing an overlay which lets you see through walls.
Nothing, except mayyybe other kernel code in the form of an anti cheat module. *
#Linux #Gaming #LinuxGaming #GamingOnLinux #Valve #Steam #Proton #AntiCheat
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@fell
I would say that most Linux users understand that a kernel level anti cheat is malware by definition and doesn't even work as is supposed to. Cheaters still cheat.
I truly think you have good intentions, so this is my honest question:
It has been proved that the best, and probably only way to stop cheating is human monitoring and intervention.Why should a whole OS be made less secure in order to facilitate the use of an intrusive software when the issue is not even on the user side?
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@YoSoyFreeman I have already been convinced that matters are not as simple as I thought, but let me say these things for the sake of debate:
1. While human monitoring is certainly effective, it still causes false positives and is labour intensive.
2. Conventional anti cheat software poses a security risk, yes. However, I still believe that a well designed security mechanism in the Kernel could hinder cheating and improve application security outside of gaming at the same time. -
@fell @YoSoyFreeman 1. kernel level ac has been known to throw tons of false positives as well, many will often ban you for having "unknown" drivers installed (that 5 year old flight stick they didn't add to their "allowed" database? shit sucks to be you) or "unknown" software (hope you don't play any games on itch.io, using firefox nightly? insta ban!)
2. for this to work you'd have to not only closed source the kernel and driver, but prevent it from being modified, even consoles fail at that
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@raptor85 @YoSoyFreeman While I don't disagree, game developers have repeatedly brought up the argument that (1) Linux makes it easy to cheat and (2) Linux makes it hard to prevent cheating.
Is this even true, I wonder? Because while cheating is certainly not impossible on Windows or on consoles, like you said, I would naively believe that surely it must be harder due to their locked down and proprietary nature.
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@fell @YoSoyFreeman game developers who, mind you, have literally never released anything on linux ever, complaining about too many cheaters on linux, and have the exact same problems they'd claim they're not making a linux version over on windows. It's basically "we've tried nothing and are all out of ideas!".
Meanwhile some of the most competitive games out there with the least impact of cheating do little more than a client-server handshake and basic server-side validation of inputs.
